No Place Like Home
by The-Slayer-And-Key-Of-Dagon
Summary: Buffy's thoughts while she talks with Dawn after finding out she is the key. Set during "No Place Like Home".


_"For centuries, it had no form at all. My brethren, it's only keeper... then the abomination found us. We had to hide the key, gave it form, made it flesh and sent it to you."_

_"Dawn?"_

_"She's the key."_

The dead monk's words still stayed in Buffy's mind as she stood outside her sister's or the _key's_ bedroom door. Emotion overwhelmed her as she raised her hand to knock on the door.

She heard her sister's voice call out to her from the other side of the door. "Go away."

_"What are you?" Buffy commanded. She held Dawn in place by pinning both her arms to her sides._

_"Get off me!" Dawn shouted out, clearly startled. _

_"You want to hurt me?" Buffy asked._

_"Let me go, you freak!" She yelled._

_"Then you deal with me." She replied in a cold voice._

_"I'm telling Mom!" Dawn told her._

_"You - stay away from my mother." Anger flowed through her as she threw her 'sister' into the closet door._

Guilt. It crashed into her like a ton of bricks as the earlier events of the night crashed into her. She knew that she had upset her sister and possibly even hurt her physical, but she pulled herself together and opened the door.

Buffy saw her sitting on the edge of her bed. Her arms were in laid in her lap as she looked away from her. She looked so vulnerable.

_"I didn't ask for this. I-I don't even know what is she?"_

_"Human. Now, human and helpless. Please. She's an innocent in this. She needs you." The monk pleaded with her. _

"I'm sorry." Buffy's voice was genuine as she spoke.

Dawn still avoided looking at her. "You hurt my arm."

"I know." It was all she could say.

A few seconds passed before Dawn broke the silence. "Butthole."

Buffy frowned a little at the insult. She knew she deserved it though. "Really sorry."

"I tell you I have this theory." Dawn spoke up clearly. Anger clearly shined in her eyes as she spoke. "It goes where you're the one who's not my sister. Cause mom adopted you from a shoebox full of baby howler monkey's and never told you cause it could hurt you delicate baby feelings."

Buffy slowly made her way from the doorway into Dawn's room. She leaned against the wall and stared at her.

She sighed. "That's your theory?"

"Explains your fashion sense," After a second, she added,"and smell."

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Broken record, much?" Dawn asked.

"You can't even take an apology. You always do that, even sin-" Buffy cut herself off. Sadness overcame her as she realized that whatever she was about to say never actually happened. It wasn't real.

_"My memories. My mom's..." Buffy felt her heart pounding faster with each word._

_"We built them." _

She walked over to her and sat down on the bed.

"I just had a bad day." She told her.

"Well, join the club." Dawn replied.

Her sisterly senses overcame her as she asked. "Can I be president?"

"I'm president. You could be the janitor." Dawn mumbled.

"Okay." She smiled somewhat as she realized Dawn was calming down. She reached up and ran her hands through her hair. It glided against her fingers. She thought back to what the monk said about keeping the key safe.

_"You must protect the key. __Many more die... If you don't keep it safe." _

'How could someone so innocent be the cause of so many horrible things?' She thought as she brushed her sisters hair behind her ear.

"Buffy?" Dawn glanced over at her.

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong with mom?" Her voice was strained a little as she asked. Buffy realized that she was scared. Scared of something happening to their mom.

Buffy was also scared about that too, but she had to be the strong one. She didn't need to worry her little sister.

"I don't know." She replied and then continued to run her fingers through her hair.

_"She's not my sister?" Her voice nearly broke. _

_"She doesn't know that."_

'It is real for her.' Buffy thought 'Everything is real. All her emotions and feelings. How dare those stupid bastards do this? Why would they?'

_"We knew the slayer would protect it with her life."_

Buffy knew that they were right. She would die before she let anyone hurt her sister.


End file.
